Prison: The Other Side of the Coma
by TheWholeDamnTime
Summary: Co-story to Coma: if you haven't read that one first, it is probably beneficial to do so! Skye faces Ward in prison under a variety of circumstances. Kind-of Skyeward. Comments and critiques are always welcome, and thank you for reading! :D
1. Chapter 1

Skye flashed the security guard her level-ten badge as she walked into the maximum security prison. The things had finally come back into use as they had recaptured the Sandbox and the Hub. The U.S. Government had cleared them of their terrorist status and they were back on the good books. But Skye was here for a reason besides S.H.I.E.L.D.

"Former Agent Grant Ward," she sighed, stepping into the visiting room. "Previous level seven agent, now labeled as a traitor and known member of Hydra, a terrorist organization." Clucking her tongue, she settled in front of her former SO. "Jesus, how's that feel? "Scum of the earth" is now practically on every record with your name on it."

"Why are you here, Skye?" the man sighed, running a hand through the roughness that had grown on his chin over the past two and a half months.

"Uh, that would be _Agent_ Skye to you, mister," she said, leisurely flashing her badge at him. "Schnazzy, huh? Coulson upped everyone on his team to the top levels, 'cept Trip. He just got a pretty nice upgrade. Level seven. Took your place, you know?" A long exhalation from the convict.

"If you're trying to goad me, it isn't working."

"Oh, I know. I'm just taking the pleasure of shoving your traitorous ways in your face before getting to the real reason I'm here."

"Which is?"

"You owe me twenty." A long pause.

"You came to the Fridge, managed to get an audience, and dragged me out of my lovely little cell because _FitzSimmons got together?!_" he cried, aghast, leaning in on his elbows and running his hands through his hair. "Wait, how is that even possible? Fitz is out of commission-"

"Yeah, 'cause you put him out of commission," Skye muttered, venom behind every word. "Down in that box, ninety feet under, he made an escape system where his entire plan was to sacrifice himself for Simmons. Told her he loved her before blowing out the glass. Aaaaaand now, Simmons is a wreck, the person she loves in a coma, thanks to- _ta-dah!_ " she cried, pointing her jazz hands across the table. Ward groaned and pressed his head into his hands.

"Oh, please. At least man up a bit and face your actions," she sneered at her former SO, pulling her arms back in to cross over her chest.

"So you came in here to gloat about winning a bet I can't fulfill because there's no cash here and I'm no longer your trainer."

"Helps me come to terms," she sighed, leaning back in her chair and kicking her heels up on the table.

"Glad to be of help, then," he sighed. "We done here?"

"Just 'bout." As she stood to leave, the hacker stopped and tuned at the door. "One last thing." The traitor looked up.

"Just be glad it wasn't May."

The door slammed shut behind her.


	2. Chapter 2

"Hello again, scum of the earth," quipped the hacker, flouncing into the interrogation room. A long groan extracted itself from a bloody lip. "Apparently, they decided physical, er, _persuasion_ wasn't effective enough and decided to go for the guilt treatment instead. Sound good?"

"Sounds fine, rookie." _Ouch,_ Skye winced, thankfully keeping her face expressionless.

"Well, before we begin, you are a _mess._ Need me to get a napkin? I think that's your tooth in the corner. Want that back as well?" Somehow, her voice was light and chipper, teasing as it had been before the entire Hydra mess had even begun to rear its ugly head. _Maybe I'll just annoy him until he submits._

"Might get a gold replacement, though," he responded, voice level and eyes flat. _Ooh, two can play this game._

"Says the guy who still can't pay off a twenty dollar bet," she responded, cheeky smile and all. "And just so you know," she said, voice growing lower and words lengthening, "Fitz is getting worse. Slow decline, to put it how Jemma did. And she's getting just as bad." A strand of hair tucked behind her ear and a quick glance at Ward, then the gaze directed back at the table. _Bits of fidgety hand movement, eyes flicking back and forth. Getting to him._ "Her hands shake like mad. Hair's a mess, and hasn't left Fitz's bedside in months. Malnourished, and looks frail, thin." A heavy swallow from the hacker let on how worried she was for her friend. "Here. I brought pictures." A photo slid across the table. Jemma sat at the side of Fitz's bed. Both had hollow, sunken cheeks, skin as pale as humanly possible. Jemma wore bags under her eyes and words could only begin to describe the empty pain in them. The traitor cast his eyes over the photo, then glanced away.

"No, look," snapped Skye, slamming her palm on the cold metal of the table. "I want you to look at the shit you caused. The pain you caused the people who trusted you. Did I tell you what Fitz did after the team found out you were Hydra?" Ward's eyes were blank, unreadable. "_Look_, goddammit, or I'll have the guards plaster your walls with it." Ward looked, eyes still numb.

"Fitz swore that you couldn't be all bad. That you were being tricked. That there was no way you were really, honestly Hydra." A deep breath and a hardened glare. "I've seen the tapes. Fitz stuck with it. What was it again? Right. "I know you still care about us, Ward"." The hacker let that sink in for a few minutes.

"Now I'm not going to give you the whole "you can help if you give us information" spiel, or even the "you'll make up for your actions" spiel. Nothing you can do right now will help a coma patient. Nothing you can ever say will make up for the shit you did. But maybe, just maybe, do something good in your life. Because right now, it seems like a crock of shit," she snapped. With that, the chair scraped backwards behind her as she stood.

"Keep the photo. I have the living, breathing versions at home." Almost at the door, Skye turned as if forgetting something.

"One last thing, Grant. What would your brother think?" She didn't specify which, just stepped out of the icy room.

She didn't need to.


	3. Chapter 3

"So how was that?"

"Amazing. I think there's actually a chance to get some information out of him," Coulson responded, still staring at the former agent through the one-way glass. "You were the best person to use against him, and you knew just how to do it, as well." A long pause. "Skye, I hate to say it, but I believe his feelings for you were genuine.

"Oh, I know," she said with all the bravado of her former sentences. The next words, though, were hushed, spoken down so Coulson had to strain to hear.

"And it just hurts that much more."


	4. Chapter 4

"Today is a good one for your little redemption-seeking soul, pond scum!"

Ward didn't even bother raising his head. His scruff had become a full beard and Skye still couldn't bring herself to recognize him as the same man who had kissed her all those months ago. His eyes had almost as many bags as Simmons, and he looked almost as bad.

"Fitz woke up a few days ago!" _Now_ his head shot up, eyes wide. The hacker could see millions of questions racing behind them, but after a blink, they were gone, her former SO cold, blank, and under control once more.

"I can see those questions, mister. And Coulson and I have agreed that you've 'fessed up enough info to get some for yourself. Within reason, of course." Throwing her arms wide, she laughed, "Ask away!"

Dead. Silence.

"Oh, come on."

"... How are they?"

"FitzSimmons?"

"The team." Skye was momentarily taken aback. _Doesn't he just want to eradicate his own guilt? Why would he car- No. Do not think about old Ward. Caring was old Ward. New Ward is..._

"Skye?" Shaking her head slightly, the hacker jerked out of her trance-like train of thought.

"Right, the team. Overall, the team is good. Triplett is the same as ever. Got over his SO pretty well, handled things with poise."

"Still a health-food nut?"

"Totally," Skye snorted. "Just for bits of fun, I sneak junk food into his meals. Every time he finds it, he says-"

"I don't put crap in my temple!" they shouted at the same time, both mocking the specialist. The hacker cracked up for a moment before reminding herself that this was _new_ Ward.

"Right, yeah. And May is... Well, as far as I can tell, she's good and getting better. Tai chi shortened from three hours to one and a half over the course of the last few months, which seems to say she's on the mend." Skye took a deep breath and paused, glancing at the one-sided glass.

"Coulson?" asked Ward, almost reading her mind.

"He's okay. Handling the whole "rebuilding S.H.I.E.L.D." thing with reasonable ease." Glancing back at the glass again, she thought it best to move on. "FitzSimmons are much better now that Fitz is up and awake. Simmons us actually getting sleep and attending to her personal hygiene daily. Fitz is in a wheelchair, but Simmons says after some physical therapy, he should be able to walk again. He had a few holes in his memory, but they've all filled in with some dreams and a bit of help from Simmons." Grinning, she began to bounce a bit. "They're dating now, by the way," she gushed.

"And I owe you another ten," grumbled Ward.

"Yep!" she giggled, popping the 'p'.

"What about you?" The question stopped her in the middle of the laughter.

"Me?" _Genuine. Why does this hurt like a blade to the gut?_

"Yeah."

"I'm... I'm not sure how I am. I'm slowly coming to terms with," she gestured with a free hand to indicate the man in front of her, "your whole thing, and besides that, I guess things are pretty good. Life rolls on, you know?" He nodded slowly.

"I-I should go. I have- stuff. Yeah, stuff. Keeping her body under control, she stood and casually walked to the door.

"Skye?" She stopped, glanced back. "Will you come back sometime?" Simple, flat voice. The same Ward from that interrogation room, all that time ago. _Shit, f*ck, Mary, Jesus, and Joseph,_ she swore to herself.

"I- well, I-" She glanced at the glass. "I shouldn't, Ward," she said slowly, "but I don't know."

And she practically ran before she could say anything else stupid.


End file.
